September trial date set in stabbing case

June 20, 2013

MARTINSBURG - A new trial date was scheduled Wednesday in the case of two people accused of beating and stabbing a 50-year-old man several times last summer in Martinsburg.

Shawn A. Ganey, 24, of Eclipse Court, Martinsburg, was indicted in February by a Berkeley County grand jury on one count of felony malicious assault and conspiracy in connection with the alleged June 5, 2012, incident.

A co-defendant, Stella E. Huckabay, 21, who is incarcerated at Eastern Regional Jail, was indicted on one count of malicious assault, one count of conspiracy and one count of possesion of hydrocodone.

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Shawn Aaron Ganey

West Virginia 23rd Judicial Circuit Judge Gray Silver III scheduled a new trial date in the case for Sept. 24 and a new pretrial date for Sept. 9.

Ganey and Huckabay had been scheduled to go to trial July 16, but the judge granted a motion for a continuance filed last week by Ganey's attorney, Shawn R. McDermott of the law firm of Kevin Mills & Associates.

McDermott filed the motion for a continuance because the defense needs to contact a forensic scientist to see if he will be willing to make arrangements to perform independent testing of shoes, knives and swabs of Ganey and Huckabay that were seized as evidence.

The defense also needs to make arrangements to have independent forensic testing done on two cellphones seized as evidence.

A motion was also filed Wednesday requesting that attorneys with Kevin Mills & Associates be appointed to the case because of their client's inability to continue to afford their services.

The alleged incident occurred on Porter Avenue. Police found the alleged victim, identified as Harold Messick, had been stabbed multiple times and was beaten after responding to a call reporting a serious battery. Medics transported Messick to Berkeley Medical Center for treatment.

Police located both Huckabay and Ganey at the scene. Both had blood on them, but told police they were not completely sure what had happened to Messick. Evidence obtained from the scene, as well as information later obtained from Ganey and Huckabay, indicated they were allegedly involved in the crime, police have said.